Why not Burke-Larkin?
by Quinis
Summary: A birthday present for KeJae! Peter and Bryce are brothers and their lives are intertwined, leading them to the FBI, White Collar office.


**Notes:** Happy Birthday KeJae (for the 24th Oct)! I asked KeJae what she would like for a present and got Peter and Neal/Bryce, something family (brothers or father/son) and fluff. I don't know if I got the fluff part but this is a light story, not delving into plot too much but giving a story of this AU Peter and Bryce.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Why not Burke-Larkin?**

* * *

Bryce had a brother, four years older them him. They were almost always in competition with each other. Or maybe that's how Bryce felt, following in his brother's footsteps.

Bryce got into track because he wanted to do a sport like his brother but didn't want to do baseball. Bryce fondly remembered the day he finally beat his brother when they went running. He had been so happy that he jumped and cheered. His brother had just smiled at him and ran a hand through his hair.

"Good job," Peter had told him.

* * *

Peter had a younger brother. Bryce was four years younger than him and it seemed like he came from another world. While Peter was built broad like their father, Bryce was slender like their mother. Bryce would be a heart-breaker if he stepped away from computers and games for a minute. Peter was torn about whether he wanted that for his brother.

* * *

When Bryce went to Stanford, the distance ended up straining their relationship a little. His brother was making it big in baseball as a pro and Bryce was studying 'that computer stuff' far away. At least he had friends like Chuck.

Chuck looked over Bryce's shoulder at his ID card.

"Burke-Larkin?" he questioned, seeing the signature on the card.

"Huh?"

"Your last name. I thought it was just Larkin."

Bryce pocketed his ID and grabbed his library books. They had a paper due the next week and had been searching together for books to reference.

"Yeah, it is. My parents are Burke-Larkin though so I added the Burke to my signature."

Chuck was confused. "But, why are you just Larkin then?"

"Our family is odd. My parents are both single children and both sets of grandparents wanted the family name to continue. So my parents combined their names and then decided to give their children one last name."

"And they decided on Larkin?"

"No. Burke actually won because it went to the first born. My older brother became Burke. But then I came along and Mum managed to convince Dad to give me the Larkin name."

Chuck did a confused double take. "Why not just give you two both names?"

Bryce laughed. "When they got married and combined their names, Mum and Dad quickly learnt that 'Burke-Larkin' is a little too long and that filling in forms is always a pain with a long name. They didn't want to put us through that."

"And yet they gave you both different names," Chuck mused. "Are they rich or something?"

Bryce laughed. "Nope. Just odd."

"I think 'Bryce Larkin' suits you," Chuck informed him. After a moment the conversation sunk in and Chuck realised, "you have a brother?"

It was then that Bryce realised he didn't talk about his family much. "Yeah." He then talked Chuck's ear off about his brother, the business-accountant on his way to being a pro-baseball player.

* * *

When Peter was riding the high of finally reaching his goal of being a pro-baseball player, he blew his rotator cuff. He had to decide whether to quit playing baseball or get the final few years from his shoulder and ruin it. The choice was a difficult one. Choosing between his dream and the ability to use his arm was a tough one. He had trained so hard for this and didn't want to give it up.

It was when Peter was agonising over this that his phone rang.

"Peter," it was Bryce. He sounded out of breath. "I'm sorry for bothering you-"

"It's never a bother," Peter responded. "What's up, Bryce?"

Bryce's voice dropped to a whisper. "I think I was recruited by the CIA."

"What do you mean 'you think'?"

"One of my professors called me in for a meeting and asked if I wanted to serve my country. He told me I was just what they were looking for. Peter, remember how I wanted to be a cop when we were younger?"

Peter did. Whenever they played cops and robbers, Neal had played the cop. However, those good memories of simpler times were tainted by the sinking feeling in Peter's chest.

Bryce had accepted, hadn't he?

"I'm coming to see you," Peter immediately said. Once he hung up, he quickly picked up the take-away containers and threw them in the bin. He hadn't realised there had been so many. His travel bag had been hidden in the bottom of his closet and he quickly pulled it out and packed it.

Peter was on the next available flight to Stanford.

* * *

Bryce wanted to bang his head against the wall. Why was his brother wasting his time and coming all the way to Stanford for him?

"I just wanted to tell you," Bryce said. "Since Mum and Dad aren't going to be told. Peter, please don't kick up a fuss."

"Which professor?" Peter demanded to know, hands on his hips.

Bryce sighed. There was no stopping Peter when he was like this.

"Professor Flemming. I'll introduce you. Please, don't get the CIA mad at you."

Peter grunted in response before pulling Bryce along as a guide to Flemming's office.

Flemming wasn't surprised to see the Burke-Larkin siblings together.

"Peter. Do come in. Please, sit down."

Peter did so, his face giving away none of his emotions. Bryce had never seen his brother like this and he was a little scared.

"Peter-"

"Sit, Bryce," Peter said, motioning to the other chair. "Let's hear what your professor has to say about his role of recruiting people into spy organisations."

Flemming explained what he wanted Bryce to do and who he would be working with. That caused Bryce to gasp.

"Who's Stephen Bartowski?" Peter asked.

"That's Chuck's dad!" Bryce said. "The one who ran out on them. I have to do this now Peter, I'm going to find him and tell him about Chuck!"

Peter sighed and shook his head fondly. It seemed Flemming knew just what to say. Bryce would do anything for someone he considered a friend.

"I guess I'll have to make sure nothing happens to you."

It seemed that his brother was going to joint the CIA to watch over him. Bryce couldn't have that. "No. What about your baseball career?"

"My career is over," Peter said, giving Bryce a quick explanation before turning to Flemming. "Well?"

Flemming nervously informed them that he had reached his total recruitment number this year. However, he did know a guy in the NSA who was looking for subordinates.

"Reece Hughes," he said, passing Peter a card. "Tell him I called and he'll at least give you a go. The project I've recommended Bryce for is a joint NSA-CIA project."

Peter nodded and decided to call the number.

* * *

Reece Hughes was, as Flemming promised, a good guy. He took Peter under his wing and trained him for the NSA and CIA. Bryce was trained by other CIA agents through their own program. Reece showed Peter ways to get in contact and stay in contact which he and Bryce used to exchange messages.

In a way, despite the physical distance their training created, they were closer because of the extra effort it took to communicate. For a time, things were good. Peter even created a CIA cover ID, Kieran Ryker, in order to vet Bryce's girlfriend Sarah.

Bryce was really embarrassed about that one so he pretended to not know him.

The new year, things started to fall apart.

Flemming decided to recruit Chuck.

Stephen Bartowski found evidence of a rogue organisation inside the CIA.

The FBI was looking to get Reece Hughes back.

* * *

First job was to get Chuck away from the CIA and the organisation which would harm him. Stephen went on the run overnight. The only people who knew his identity were Flemming, Bryce, Peter and Hughes. Everyone else had only known him as Orion. Bryce got Chuck kicked out on Stephen's orders. If they convinced the organisation that Chuck's scores were the result of cheating, they would have no reason to chase him even after he left Stanford.

With all this happening, Peter was loosing his mentor. He didn't know what to do. The NSA-CIA joint project was falling apart and he might not be able to work with his brother anymore.

If there was no Bryce, Peter didn't want to be with the NSA.

Hughes solved that one for Peter. Peter was a good agent and Hughes believed he had potential to be the best. With the FBI of course. He got Peter accepted at QUANTICO and even assisted in sealing Peter's NSA past away. Ryker was burned when Peter left.

Bryce decided to stay with the CIA. He wanted to find the organisation which made the CIA a dangerous place to be. Peter didn't like it but he promise Bryce all the support he wanted.

* * *

Neal Caffrey came about as a result of Peter's promise. Bryce wanted to be able to move more freely. He suspected he was being watched.

Neal Caffrey was Bryce's escape. It hadn't been planned for him to go into a life of crime but it seemed like a great way to catch criminals. Bryce enjoyed catching criminals, even as Neal. He became CI for Agent Peter Burke while also being on the run from him. They arrested a number of dangerous white collar criminals using Neal's connections. Plus it helped Bryce gather information on the group within the CIA.

* * *

Then came the day Bryce was shot. A couple of months before, Bryce had burnt Neal Caffrey by getting arrested and sentenced to jail. Peter hadn't thought much of it at the time. He had honestly thought that it was almost all over.

It seemed it was only getting started. He kept an eye on the CIA. The scattered CIA agents undercover within the FBI found their jobs a lot harder as someone started interfering with the small tasks. Something had changed and they were no longer tolerated within the walls of the FBI but they had no idea why. Some were just surprised that someone in the FBI had made them. One was rather glad they hadn't been made and hoped that they managed to stay under the radar until the FBI tolerated their presence again.

* * *

Peter didn't go to the funeral. It was the funeral of a fake man. The accountant who had been shot in a bank robbery. He thought Bryce would have enjoyed the irony.

Peter tried to put Bryce out of mind. He might have been working a little later and a little harder but he didn't care. In his mind, he had failed to protect his little brother. He couldn't let that happen to anyone else, even if it meant late nights in the office and cold dinners fed to Satchmo.

* * *

One day, a couple of years after Bryce had died, Hughes called Peter into his office.

"I've poached an agent from another agency. He's just finished up at QUANTICO and will be joining us as a probie in the next couple of days."

"From another agency?" Peter questioned. Why was Hughes telling him?

"CIA."

Peter huffed. They didn't need any ex-CIA agents roaming around here.

"Peter, we just don't have the manpower needed. You have a high clearance rate but that just means more cases come our way. I've finally managed to convince this agent to join us and I was hoping you would show him the ropes."

* * *

Rumours started flying around the White Collar office. Some people said the new agent was an ex-criminal. Some said he was a CI who decided to level up. That phrase hurt Peter because it reminded him of Bryce, who he'd never see again and yet, seemed to be keeping a position for him. Peter didn't have a single partner he always worked with. Not like Jones and Diana worked together.

Someone said the new agent was hot and everyone was interested in what he looked like then.

But all they had to go off was a fedora used to cover his face when the new agent had a meeting with Hughes.

* * *

Finally, the day came when the new agent was to join them. Diana met him first, when he got in the elevator and made small talk with her as they rod up to their floor.

She forgot to ask his name. However, he looked familiar.

"Aren't you Neal Caffrey?" Jones questioned as he shook the new agent's hand.

The agent grinned a familiar grin and Diana wondered how she had missed it.

"Never heard of him," the agent lied. It was so obvious that everyone wondered how this man had managed to con anyone. "My name's Bryce Larkin."

"Bryce," Peter stated blandly. He stared at the figure of his dead sibling, surrounded by agents.

"Peter, remember what we talked about," Hughes said in warning. He didn't want Peter chasing Bryce away.

"Peter!" Bryce greeted happily. "Hey! We got them so I can come out of hiding!"

Peter glared.

"And Chuck joined! Isn't that nice? He's the one who got them."

Peter kept glaring. Bryce's smile wavered.

"You remember Chuck, don't you?"

"I remember Chuck," Peter responded. "And I remember you too. Last I saw your face was on an obituary."

Bryce winced. "Uh... surprise?"

"Bryce Larkin."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Bryce saluted, trying to make his brother laugh.

"Probie, I'm going to give you so much work that people will worry about you drowning in it," Peter promised.

Bryce swallowed.

"Also, if you ever fake your death again and not contact me afterwards, I will be telling my wife and you won't get to play with my dog."

"You got a dog?" Bryce questioned in wonder. He had always wanted a dog as a kid. It was one reason Peter had agreed to adopting Satchmo. "Got it, sir!"

Peter shook his head fondly. "Get up here, Probie. We have work to do."


End file.
